IDF 2015 Keynote Recap: Why you need to pay attention to Intel

Intel’s position in the tech world is much more than just core processors. A lot of innovation in the PC world for example is accelerated with Intel’s design and research team. The company is perhaps one of the few silicon and IO companies that deals with companies that are rivaling each other and at the same time chasing to adopt the next best technology.

Intel’s partnership with Apple was early on seen when it was the first consumer brand to adopt the newer Core 2 duo and later Thunderbolt processors and ports. In fact, when Windows 8 had launched, it was Intel who went to companies an encouraged the 2 in 1 Yoga like form factors that we see today.

“Intel is the ATAP for Everyone”

Intel has a stronger development following than ever. From companies, startups to makers. Intel wants to do all, not to compete but to be the backbone for the next best of things. While Google (Alphabet?) ATAP lab division which is famously known for bringing out the best of research and development within the company. Most of its work is fascinating as well as a bright look into the tech induced world of tomorrow. Intel’s world is more in the lines of creating and working with existing standards to giving them right in the hands of developers and companies to take advantage.

Intel surprises us every once or twice a year with what they are working on. They do it at CES and they have their own version of an Intel CES called Intel Development Forum or IDF. I’m at Intel’s IDF 2015 in San Francisco and Brian Kzanich CEO of Intel just delivered a two hour keynote kicking off the forum. It was quite remarkable.

Intel Inside, Intel Everywhere

Intel’s pushing a lot on mobile and beyond. If I were to be a critic I would say Intel missed the mobile opportunity that ARM filled in heavily. As much as Intel needs to be more mobile, it needs big corporations to adopt its brand. For example Intel is working with Google on solving its Audio latency problem among other bits. Intel revealed today in a demo that addresses just that.

Intel also announced an interesting partnership with Google on its ROS Robotics technology. ROS stands for Robotics Operating System and its their latest effort in automated physical beings, or robots. In a live demo, Intel’s CEO Brian Krzanich gave a command to a Robot that delivered him a bottle of diet coke, he spoke to it, and complimented it as well.

Intel has also partnered with Microsoft with Cortana digital assistance. This is most probably an extension of Intel’s Connected Standby feature. This time round you can wake up your Windows 10 PC but just saying “Hey Cortana, Wake up”

Intel’s partnership with Microsoft also extends with Windows Hello where a real sense equipped PC can automatically log you in just by looking at you. This is more secure since its looking at you in 3D and not a flat image.

“Passwords are so 2015”

Intel’s offerings doesn’t just end with partnerships. Intel genuinely wants to add to the problem and direction of technology we are going towards. Intel announced a security bracelet that is aware when you take it and don’t and is able to offer what is enterprise level security.

Intel showcased further more interesting partnerships with fashion watch brand Fossil. Today Fossil announced their first ever watch that runs Android wear. The Fossil watch is expected to be in stores this October.

Speaking of wearable technology, Intel teased us back in January during CES an extremely tiny chip called Curie. Curie is a soc from Intel, much like Edison, its footprint is extremely small and has quite the spec for what it is. Today we got a demo of Curie in form.

A lot of today’s demo were about, well everything. RealSense however is proving to be the most immediate product release that Intel has developed in-house. There are already cameras out there that use the technology and Intel isn’t really making any mainstream consumer products themselves.

I think Intel has figured out a win-win situation. What intel has a is a portfolio and a research team that is making great products from its labs and at the same time is promoting everyone to play with it. Today’ Intel announced that RealSense is now supported on almost every platform out there.

And if the robotics news hasn’t justified your doubts on an invasion, the keynote ended with Brian Krzanich controlling a swarm of robotics spiders with his hand and then a dance by the spiders to Uptown Funk.